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NitrOS‐9 on the Wildbits

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Boisy Pitre edited this page May 1, 2026 · 1 revision

Getting started

Current as of Fall 2024

Wildbits OS-9 Installation

Another resource is the f256foenix.com Wiki page.

Information leveraged from the nice YouTube video: F256K- How to update the FPGA You should watch this video as it has a good visual overview of most of the steps below.

Requirements And Process

  • Windows Workstation - to install Quartus, connect to FPGA port and re-program FPGA for 6809
  • Macintosh workstation - connect via USB port (mini, NOT Micro) run fnxmgr to flash RAM with boot-loader, create SD card for OS-9

You can use a Windows or Linux for this as well, I have not done that. I used a Windows 10 laptop and a Mac M3 running Sonoma to perform the follow steps to a Wildbits system.

Purchases

Note

Personal Note here: I got the $9 "Altera Blaster" and wasted 4 hours reflashing it to no avail. Just get the EarthPeopleTech blaster and don't waste time on anything with a CH55x chip in it. The nice foenix wiki page does also make this warning and I consciously ignored it and wasted the time. Maybe you won't!

Installation

  • Open the Wildbits
  • Remove the 6502
  • Install FNX6809 - note pin 1 and orient properly
  • install a battery - CR2032

Gather Software

Note

This FEU is going to be out of date! The most recent are located for now on the Wildbits discord, in the os9-image-release - here is a direct invite and link into that channel: https://discord.gg/BpduF2fVRk

On the Mac, use brew to install these as you may need them (to unarchive some files and balena will flash the disk image to a SD card)

  • brew install --cask the-unarchiver
  • brew install --cask balenaetcher

Flashing Wildbits

  • Win10 boot
  • install Quartus 18
  • copy DLL into bin64 dir
  • Connect Flasher cable to Wildbits bottom, connect to USB
  • Turn ON Wildbits
  • Let windows find driver and install (W10 should find and auto install)
  • Reboot
  • Run Programmer Quartus Prime 18.x
  • Add Hardware - your Flasher should appear
  • click on file and then start (see screenshots)
  • flash will complete, no errors
  • Turn off Wildbits, disconnect flasher.
  • Set aside W10
  • Wildbits will have a black screen with green border - this is expected

Installing OS-9 Bootstrap (Level 1)

  • Boot Macintosh
  • connect USB cable from Mac to Wildbits
  • Power on Wildbits
  • use git to pull foenixManager repo
  • unzip os9-FEU-June.zip in the foenix Manager folder
  • Open terminal go to foenix Manager folder
  • install python modules
$ pip install -r requirements.txt
  • go into os9-FEU-June folder (you extracted it here)
os9FEU-June $ ls -l
total 80
-rw-r--r--@ 1 dillera  staff  8192 Jul  5 17:44 8000.bin
-rw-r--r--@ 1 dillera  staff  8192 Jul  5 17:44 A000.bin
-rw-r--r--@ 1 dillera  staff  8192 Jul  5 17:44 C000.bin
-rw-r--r--@ 1 dillera  staff  8192 Jul  5 17:44 E000.bin
-rw-r--r--@ 1 dillera  staff    48 Jul  5 17:44 bulk.csv
-rw-r--r--@ 1 dillera  staff   108 Jul  5 17:46 foenixmgr.ini

  • you should see those 6 files.

  • Find your local Wildbits device

$ ls -l /dev |grep cu
crw-rw-rw-  1 root     wheel      0x9000003 Jul  1 11:33 cu.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port
crw-rw-rw-  1 root     wheel      0x9000005 Jul  5 17:46 cu.usbmodemQ08208334611
crw-rw-rw-  1 root     wheel      0x9000001 Jul  1 11:32 cu.wlan-debug

  • Wildbits device will be like: cu.usbmodemQ08208334611

  • Edit foenixmgr.ini

$ cat foenixmgr.ini 

[DEFAULT]
port=/dev/cu.usbmodemQ08208334611
labels=sample.lbl
flash_address=380000
chunk_size=1024
cpu=6809

  • set port to the device for your mac

  • set cpu to 6809

  • save foenixmgr.ini

  • ensure you are in the FEU file directory

$ pwd

[your paths]FoenixMgr/os9FEU-June
  • use fnxmgr to bulk-flash OS1 onto Wildbits
$ python ../FoenixMgr/fnxmgr.py --flash-bulk ./bulk.csv 

Attempting to program sector 0x3C with 8000.bin
Binary file uploaded...
Flash sector erased...
Flash sector programmed...
Attempting to program sector 0x3D with A000.bin
Binary file uploaded...
Flash sector erased...
Flash sector programmed...
Attempting to program sector 0x3E with C000.bin
Binary file uploaded...
Flash sector erased...
Flash sector programmed...
Attempting to program sector 0x3F with E000.bin
Binary file uploaded...
Flash sector erased...
Flash sector programmed...

  • Issues? check python version, paths, where you are, etc etc...

  • Success: -- FEU screen should appear on 256

  • This is just the bootloader, we need NitrOS-9 on SD card to boot the OS

Install NitrOS-9 Level 2 on SD Card

  • Get SD Card, insert into Macintosh
  • flash DSK image to SD using balenaetcher (you installed with Brew)
    • choose NOS9_6809_L2_v030300_f256k_sd.dsk as source
    • choose SD card as target
    • ignore its messages about partitions and just flash, it takes about 2 seconds)
  • eject card
  • insert card into Wildbits

On Wildbits FEU screen:

  • type 'o' to boot OS-9

  • type 's' to boot from SD card

  • NitrOS-9 will load, bootscreen will appear and a shell is spawned.

  • You are done

NitrOS-9: Empowering 6809 CPUs with a modern, efficient operating system

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